Happy Christmas from the Ewalts

Wow!  I can't believe that it is Christmas time, the end of another amazing year.  As usual, life at the Ewalts has been full of joy, excitement, disaster, grief, love, family, and travel.  We started the year off celebrating Orson's first birthday, first with my family in the beginning of the month and then with Matt's at the end.  Unfortunately the actual day and time with Matt's family didn't go quite as expected, as the night before Orson turned one we were all in a major collision with a drunk driver.  We were graced with a miracle and everyone lived through the accident but Matt ended up in multiple hospitals and several months of therapy to fix a shattered tibial plane (in his knee) and a shattered pelvis.  He had his last surgery just before Thanksgiving and amazingly is walking completely on his own with full range of motion in all of his joints!  Other then recovering, Matt has also been very busy at work (a big blessing in this economy) and playing with Orson.  I have also stayed busy caring for Orson (and Matt), going back to school for some classes in Emergency Management, crafting, cooking and gardening.  The main star of the Ewalt house is obviously Orson :)  He is busy growing, keeping up an active social live, learning to talk, walk, skip, jump, ride a bike (or Good to Go as he calls them) and learning about every kind of vehicle with wheels!  

    As usual (since our families are so spread out) we have been traveling here there and everywhere.  In the states we have been to Yosemite (to celebrate Matt walking without any aids) and many other spots in CA, Oregon (for Thanksgiving), Iowa (for a wedding), and Texas (for the MS 150 and Christmas).  Orson and I also got to spend a month in London with trips to Cambridge, Bath, and Belgium and a long weekend in Oslo which Matt joined us for.  

      Also, as usual, we have been constantly reminded of and thankful for the family and friends that support and love us all over the world.  God has truly been good to us and has looked out for us through everything.  Matt and I take such great joy in our son and hold each other with such love that we know that whatever comes our way, we will be able to take it in stride.

Below are some of our favorite pictures from the year: